Learning Through Teaching: A Study of Social Work PhD Students in Their Roles as Educators and Learners of Research

PhD social work education programs train students to become effective researchers. Less recognized are the potential opportunities for PhD students to develop in their role as educators and the possible benefits of honing doctoral students’ knowledge of research through their role as educators. This study explored these opportunities for social work PhD students who taught an introductory research methods course to MSW students. Findings suggest that potential strong, mutual benefits for PhD and MSW students exist, and institutional supports improved PhD students’ confidence as educators and researchers. Finally, integration of Kolb’s experiential learning theory and Feynman’s mental model in the doctoral social work curriculum may enhance the profession’s development of future leaders.     

Comparing clinical data with administrative data for producing acute myocardial infarction report cards

Summary.  We compared measures of hospital performance by using both administrative and clinical data sources. Hospital-specific mortality outcomes on 10086 patients who had been admitted to 102 hospitals with a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction in Ontario, Canada, were used as a test-case. Four and six hospitals were identified as having mortality that was statistically significantly higher than expected by using administrative and clinical data respectively, when model-based indirect standardization was used. When using random-effects models, zero and two hospitals were identified as having significantly higher mortality by using administrative and clinical data respectively. Approximately one in four hospitals changed at least two decile rankings when clinical data were used compared with when administrative data were used.     

Board performance and organizational effectiveness in nonprofit social services organizations

This article examines the tasks and responsibilities of nonprofit boards of directors and explores the relationship between board performance and organizational effectiveness. Thirty-three activities in nine areas of board responsibility were examined through questionnaires and interviews with board members and chief executive officers of sixteen nonprofit organizations serving developmentally disabled adults. Rankings of organizational effectiveness were determined using external evaluators and accreditation surveys. A significant relationship between board performance and organizational effectiveness was found, and the board activities most strongly correlated with organizational effectiveness are reported, including policy formation, strategic planning, program monitoring, financial planning and control, resource development, board development, and dispute resolution.     

The selection of zero-non-zero patterned cointegrating vectors in error-correction modelling

An effective and efficient search algorithm has been developed to select from an 1(1) system zero-non-zero patterned cointegrating and loading vectors in a subset VECM, B ^q (l)y(t-1) + B ^q-1 (L)Ay(t) = ?( t ) , where the long term impact matrix Bq(l) contains zero entries. The algorithm can be applied to higher order integrated systems. The Finnish money-output model presented by Johansen and Juselius (1990) and the United States balanced growth model presented by King, Plosser, Stock and Watson (1991) are used to demonstrate the usefulness of this algorithm in examining the cointegrating relationships in vector time series.     

Estimation of Ratio of Two Finite-Population Means in the Presence of Non Response

It is well known that a ranked set sample under perfect ranking provides more information than an i.i.d. sample of the same size. Then it may be interesting to study how much information is lost due to imperfect ranking. In this article, we consider some ranking mechanisms and study the loss of the Fisher information according to the degree of imperfect ranking. Then we continue to discuss the optimal combination of the sample size and number of strata in terms of maximizing the Fisher information for the bivariate normal and exponential distributions.     

Deviant Cases in Tests of the Status Integration Theory

Within each of seven age groups of black females, black males, white females, and white males, the correlations among marital statuses between 1990 integration measures and 1989 to 1991 suicide rates are predominantly negative and substantial. That finding is consistent with previous reports, but those reports did not examine deviant cases, meaning populations that appear to be extreme exceptions to the status integration theory. Such populations—particular age groups or particular marital statuses—are identified here, and they are especially likely when a marital status has few occupants. The interpretation: a small population size tends to result in unstable suicide rates, and that instability tends to reduce the correlation of the rates with status integration. There is no conventional methodology for analyzing deviant cases, and this paper does not offer one. Nonetheless, the findings are relevant for any theory pertaining to variation in rates.     

Developing Policy in the Face of Scientific Uncertainty: Interpreting 0.3 μT or 0.4 μT Cutpoints from EMF Epidemiologic Studies

There has been considerable scientific effort to understand the potential link between exposures to power-frequency electric and magnetic fields (EMF) and the occurrence of cancer and other diseases. The combination of widespread exposures, established biological effects from acute, high-level exposures, and the possibility of leukemia in children from low-level, chronic exposures has made it both necessary and difficult to develop consistent public health policies. In this article we review the basis of both numeric standards and precautionary-based approaches. While we believe that policies regarding EMF should indeed be precautionary, this does not require or imply adoption of numeric exposure standards. We argue that cutpoints from epidemiologic studies, which are arbitrarily chosen, should not be used as the basis for making exposure limits due to a number of uncertainties. Establishment of arbitrary numeric exposure limits undermines the value of both the science-based numeric EMF exposure standards for acute exposures and precautionary approaches. The World Health Organization's draft Precautionary Framework provides guidance for establishing appropriate public health policies for power-frequency EMF.     

The motor freight industry—A case against planning

Data from 298 motor carrier firms were analyzed to determine the nature of the strategic planning function in that industry and the relationship between planning, organization size and economic performance. Generally, motor carriers were found to perform similarly irrespective of their size or commitment to strategic planning. A number of factors are suggested to explain this phenomenon.